Which Watch Should I Wear?: A Guide to Choosing the Right Watch for the Occasion

I love watches. Especially mechanical watches; there’s just something about the repetitive movement that I find therapeutic. I can sit and watch (pun intended) the inner workings of a watch for hours. I love all sorts of watches (except digital), so it bothers me when I see someone wearing one improperly; like wearing a sports watch with a suit, or doing manual labour with a dress watch.

For those of you who are unaware, this is what a watch looks like:

Three excellent examples

Watches are made up of far too many parts for me to cover, and there are only two that I will be talking about here anyway: The Face, and The Band. The band is the part that goes around your wrist, and the face is the part with the time on it.

Black Tie Event

Discreet and Elegant are the keywords here. The most formal option is a nice pocket watch (assuming you are wearing a waistcoat), otherwise, stick with a plain and simple wristwatch with a black leather band. Try and match the colour and metal on the watch to your cufflinks.

In The Office with a Suit

You have a bit more freedom here. If it is a conservative office, try to stick with leather bands. The colour and general texture of the watch band should match your shoes (and belt, if you wear one). It doesn’t need to be exactly the same, just similar enough that, at a distance, there shouldn’t be much difference. A brown watch band with brown shoes, black watch band with black shoes, etc. Also feel free to wear a watch that it a bit larger, with a metal band. Don’t be a show-off, but a flash of gold or silver from your wrist can make a large statement. Pictured here are two of my favorites by Omega.

Omega Seamaster

Rolex Oyster Day-Date

Omega Speedmaster

Lounging Around

Casual events call for a more casual watch. Depending on the exact event, you can feel free to wear larger watches (within reason) with metal or fabric bands. Avoid watches with formal leather bands; if you do want to wear a leather band, choose something with a bit of texture more striking colour. Brushed steel makes for a great casual watch. Here are two excellent examples of casual watches by Fossil.

When You’re Sweating

When you’re exercising and need a watch, stick with a durable rubber sport watch; this is the only time you should be wearing one. Avoid the urge to go digital at all costs. Try to find something stylish, but remember that it will be taking a beating, so be wary about spending too much on one. A good example of a cheap sports watch is below.

These are just a few examples, so if you are ever in doubt as to what watch to wear, remember that you can always just leave a comment and ask.